only eight days left until america goes off the fiscal cliff. both sides are taking a holiday break, and all we're getting is the blame game. some republicans suggesting that the doomsday scenario that's now unfolding is all part of a white house plan. >> when i listen to the president, i think the president is eager to go over the cliff for political purposes. i think he sees a political victory at thement bot of the cliff. he gets all this additional tax revenue for new program. he gets to cut the military, which democrats have been calling for for years, and he gets to blame republicans for it. >> white house correspondent breanna keilar has the envy of all assignments of traveling with the president and joins us live from honolulu, hawaii, this morning. breanna, good morning to you. >> reporter: good morning to you, alina. the bottom line here, beginning this week, is that substantive conversations between democrats and republicans are basically nonexistent. the white house and senate democrats are not in communication not only with house re